


Glass Eyes and Brown Fur

by gyuhyun



Series: EXO as Things [3]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Separations, Teddy Bears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-23
Updated: 2015-04-23
Packaged: 2018-03-25 09:56:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3806173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gyuhyun/pseuds/gyuhyun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Baekhyun and Chanyeol are teddy bears who belong to masters who are enemies. Falling in love is the least of their problems.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Glass Eyes and Brown Fur

**Author's Note:**

  * For [caramiro](https://archiveofourown.org/users/caramiro/gifts).



He begins to see when he feels the touch of a hand on his body. When he looks up, he meets the eyes of a little girl. Her straight brown hair frames her round face and he thinks, ‘ _she looks cute_.’ 

"I'm gonna call you Baekhyun," she says, her smile bright and her eyes warm. Baekhyun, knowing that the name matches him perfectly, smiles. She wraps her chubby arms around him and Baekhyun lets her embrace him as tightly as she wants. 

"We're gonna be best friends," she whispers. 

She pulls him back and Baekhyun feels the girl's hand make him nod. He laughs because if he could move, he would have gladly bobbed his head up and down in agreement. 

"Yay!" she exclaims as she lies down in her bed and cuddles with him. 

Baekhyun smiles as she relays to him all that they're going to do tomorrow. Nothing feels better than this, lying down in bed with the little girl's eyes on him. So many things shine in her brown eyes as she talks to Baekhyun—happiness, warmth, and what Baekhyun thinks is love. 

Baekhyun takes everything in and relishes in the gaze of his master. For the first time, he feels like he knows what it means to love. 

 

 

 

Baekhyun surveys the playground. His eyes are on the prowl for a person who might disturb the peace his master has created for herself. His master sits in the sandbox, shoveling sand into her tiny bucket so she can make what Baekhyun learns is a sand castle. She bites her bottom lip in concentration as she turns over her bucket. She smiles in satisfaction when it comes out perfectly. 

For a second, Baekhyun allows himself to relax in his corner of the sandbox. The sun hangs high in the sky and the laughter of children serves as music to his ears. There seems to be no one around to ruin his master's happiness and he deems it fine to take his eyes off her for a few seconds. 

In that second, Baekhyun misses the shadow that casts over his master as his eyes take in the sight of the fiery red slide. A small yelp alerts him. He turns to his master and finds a little boy pulling at her braids. 

The little boy steps in front of his master and kicks down her sand castle, causing his master to tear up. From his position, Baekhyun glimpses a small light brown bear tucked inside the boy's shorts. The bear waves at him with a rueful smile on his face as the little boy begins to stomp on the remains of the sand castle. 

"Sand castles are for sissies!" the little boy yells. 

In a soft voice that Baekhyun almost misses, she says, “No they're not.”

"It prob'ly has cooties all over it." The little boy continues to taunt and Baekhyun can see his master pout. She doesn't reply, only turns away and tries to fight her tears. 

"What? Can’t talk?" Although Baekhyun can’t see the boy's face, it's almost as if Baekhyun can _see_ his smirk. Baekhyun holds himself back as he cannot allow himself to move in such a public place. 

_Psssst!_

Baekhyun looks around but finds no one whispering and thinks it might just be his imagination. 

_Hey, over here._

Baekhyun follows the sound and sees the small bear that hangs off the boy’s shorts wave at him. Baekhyun assumes he's probably the bear of the little boy and glares at him. The little bear only chuckles as he winks at Baekhyun. 

He sees the little boy hold the tip of one of the braids of his master and takes in a breath. He knows he can't do anything to fight what he knows is going to happen.

 _Trust me,_ Baekhyun seems to hear from the other bear but he can't be sure. He can hear all kinds of things—his master shouting with the little boy and the children’s laughter—that he doesn’t know what to focus on. 

Before he realizes it, a soft thud grabs his attention. The little boy seems to notice too and turns his focus to the bear on the ground. He drops the braid and picks the bear up off the sand. He rolls his eyes and reprimands his doll. 

"Why are you calling me a sissy when you have a bear?" Baekhyun’s master retorts. Baekhyun almost gapes in shock but stops himself in time. He can hear the other bear snicker and Baekhyun glares at him to shut up. 

The little boy smirks at Baekhyun's master, "Chanyeol's notta bear. And am not a sissy. Your bear's bigger so you're the sissy." 

Chanyeol—the name of the smaller bear—continues to snicker as his master places him beside Baekhyun. 

The little boy crosses his arms and scoffs. "Lil girls shouldn't fight back." 

Baekhyun watches with horror in his eyes as his master stands up, wipes her tears and crosses her arms. "If you call me sissy one more time, am gonna call my mommy." 

"Lil girls always call their mommy." 

_This is gonna be good._ Baekhyun looks to his side where Chanyeol eagerly watches their masters. 

_Are you serious?_

_Just watch._ Chanyeol doesn't even spare him a glance. 

"Sissy." 

It happens so fast that Baekhyun hurts his head from whipping it to the side at the speed that he does so.

"Mommy!" his master screams. Tears pool at the corner of her eyes and she begins to gasp for air as she cries louder. "Mommy Mommy Mommy!"

The look of panic on the little boy's face makes Chanyeol laugh loudly. For a moment, Chanyeol’s laugh is the only thing Baekhyun can hear. He watches the sunlight hit Chanyeol's fur, shimmering just the slightest. Something about the way Chanyeol’s fur shines holds Baekhyun's gaze for a second. 

Baekhyun's ears catch the voice of his master’s mother and he finds himself in her grasp within seconds. It's the perfect distraction from Chanyeol's laugh and his glittery fur. His master's mother gives the little boy a stern look, one of her hands holding her daughter's. 

"What are you doing?" she scolds in a panicky voice. She shields her daughter from the boy and gives him a stern lecture about playing nicely. Baekhyun doesn't know how but he can still hear Chanyeol's laughter. The distance between them shouldn't allow Baekhyun to hear Chanyeol anymore. 

"I'm so sorry," the little boy's mother says as she arrives. She forces her son to bow and apologizes repeatedly. Seeing the desperation from the other mother, his master's mother softens before accepting the apology. 

Before walking away, Baekhyun feels himself fall into the arms of his master. He watches as his master pokes her tongue out at the little boy when his master's mother has her back turned. At the tug on her hand, his master follows her mother out of the sandbox. 

_Bye!_ Baekhyun hears as they leave. He tries not to imagine the wave and the wide smile that might've been on Chanyeol's face as he said goodbye. 

He doesn't understand what he feels.

 

 

 

Baekhyun watches as Chanyeol laughs again for the umpteenth time that day. He wonders how a bear can laugh so much when all Baekhyun's done is keep an eye out for Chanyeol's master. It is then that Baekhyun returns his gaze to the two children bickering over the sand castle Baekhyun's master started to form. 

The little boy doesn't call Baekhyun's master a sissy anymore. Occasionally, he will tug at her braids but Baekhyun's master seems to not let it get to her. She just glares and huffs at him, reprimanding him from time to time. 

Chanyeol laughs again as Baekhyun's master threatens to throw sand at Chanyeol's master if he tugs at her braids one more time. Baekhyun follows the sound, eyes going over to Chanyeol who laughs like there's no tomorrow. 

_You laugh a lot._

Baekhyun only realizes he's spoken when Chanyeol turns to him, a wide smile replacing his laughs. 

_You spoke._

Baekhyun sits there unable to reply because it dawns on him that this is the first time he's spoken to Chanyeol. Granted, they only met the other day. 

_What's your name?_ Chanyeol asks, his tone friendly and light. Baekhyun finds himself replying before he can even really think about it. 

_Baekhyun._

_Well, Baekhyun, nice to meet you. I'm Chanyeol._

Chanyeol's smile rivals the sun in its brightness and makes Baekhyun feel hot for some reason. He knows he shouldn't feel hot, though; he's a teddy bear, a stuffed toy. He doesn't feel much of anything aside from love for his master. 

_And yes, I laugh a lot._ Baekhyun almost misses Chanyeol say. _It's because my master is an idiot and only wants your master's attention._

 _I don't understand._

Chanyeol laughs again and Baekhyun finds himself entranced by its melody. 

_You will, eventually._

 

 

 

Baekhyun watches as his master's mother stops waving and turns her back on the doors of the kindergarten. His master walks with a bounce in her step as she hums a song that played in the car’s radio that morning. He smiles as he settles in her backpack, body mixing with the rest of her school things. For a split second, he thinks about Chanyeol and the possibility of bumping into him. He shakes his head at the thought. 

The classroom they enter is empty. Vacant seats occupy the space and his master picks the second seat by the window. She settles Baekhyun on the desk, perched against the wall, and pats his head. 

"Be a good boy, Baekhyunnie," she singsongs as she settles herself in the chair. 

His master turns to watch the scenery out the window while Baekhyun keeps his eyes trained on the door. Baekhyun sees the door crack open a little, a head of black hair peeping inside before focusing on his master's figure. He recognizes the smirk that the little boy wears as he enters the room. Baekhyun wishes he could warn his master of the oncoming trouble but it's too late. His master only gets a tug on her braids as a warning. 

"Hey!" she shouts and she turns around to meet eyes with the boy from the playground. 

Baekhyun expects more teasing from the two, but what happens shocks him the most. The boy drops his smirk as he smiles down at the little girl, taking the seat beside hers. 

"Fancy seeing you here, sissy," he says, setting his bag to the side. His smile and tone are friendly and playful, so much so that it confuses Baekhyun. When his master just shakes her head and mutters _'My name's not sissy'_ as a counter, Baekhyun wonders what's going on.

_Baekhyun-ah!_

Baekhyun looks to the bag hanging on the hook of the desk and finds Chanyeol's head peeping from an opening. 

_What's going on?_ Baekhyun finds himself asking. Chanyeol laughs. 

_I told you, you'll understand one day._

Baekhyun sighs at Chanyeol's reply but doesn't bother asking for an elaboration. For now, he busies himself with watching the light catch on Chanyeol's shimmering fur. 

Baekhyun finds out that kindergarten is a lot of fun despite all the 'learning' his master has to do. Somehow, Baekhyun ends up in the same position as Chanyeol, with only his head out from an opening in his master's backpack. Baekhyun realizes he is close enough to Chanyeol that they can hear each other without shouting. 

They spend their days talking about their masters. Sometimes, Baekhyun will find himself just listening to Chanyeol laugh and sing. Most times, Baekhyun drowns in the tunes of Chanyeol’s deep voice as he talks Baekhyun's ears off. 

Maybe it's because of Chanyeol, always distracting Baekhyun, that he still doesn't understand why their masters stopped teasing each other one day. 

 

 

 

 _Baekhyun-ah,_ Chanyeol whispers. Despite the sounds coming from the children playing outside, Chanyeol's voice reaches Baekhyun like an echo. 

_What is it?_

Chanyeol smiles at him, his eyes shining from the sunlight reaching the windows. 

_You know this is the last day of kindergarten, right?_

Baekhyun remembers his master picking her favorite dress to wear for this day. His master hasn't stopped talking about looking her absolute best. He knows it's the last day, of course he does. All the stuffed toys know because none of their masters have stopped talking about it. 

_Of course,_ Baekhyun replies matter-of-factly. Chanyeol laughs and utters something that Baekhyun doesn't catch. 

_Do you still not understand why our masters have stopped fighting?_

Baekhyun gets caught off guard with the question but he nods. For some weird reason, their masters have managed to develop a somewhat normal friendship. They bicker and tease each other but Baekhyun no longer sees the fire in his master's eyes as she talks with Chanyeol's master. Teasing smiles and playful laughter replace the angry tears and painful cries. 

_I knew it!_ Chanyeol says and Baekhyun glares at him. 

_Come on, are you gonna tell me what's going on or not?_ Baekhyun urges and Chanyeol just shakes his head. 

_I will._ Chanyeol's voice softens, almost inaudible. _It's the least I can do._

A few seconds pass and Baekhyun almost thinks that Chanyeol has forgotten what he was going to say. 

_They like each other._ Chanyeol says his voice clear and loud in the room. Baekhyun furrows his eyebrows. He isn't sure what Chanyeol means by that. 

_What do you mean? They like each other like my master likes me?_ Baekhyun asks. Never has the concept of 'like' ever been this hard. Chanyeol giggles at Baekhyun's question, making the bigger bear feel silly. 

_My master likes your master like I like you._

Chanyeol smiles widely at him, and for a second, Baekhyun feels like the world has stopped revolving. He stares at Chanyeol, taken aback by his words. 

_What do you mean?_ Baekhyun whispers, a quiver in his voice. 

_I like you, Baekhyun-ah._

Baekhyun opens and closes his mouth. A part of him wants to say he feels the same, that he likes Chanyeol, too, but it doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel enough. 

_You may not understand now, but you will one day._

When Baekhyun goes home with his master that day, Baekhyun finds himself perched on his usual place on his master's bed. His master plops herself on the bed and cuddles Baekhyun against her chest. She’s chatting his ears off again, talking about how she spent most of her day having fun with Chanyeol’s master. A silence fills the room after she’s finished giving Baekhyun a complete recount of the day. His master takes a deep breath and Baekhyun waits for whatever revelation she may have. 

"You know, Baekhyunnie, I think I like him." A pinkish hue colors his master's cheeks. He wonders once more what they mean, what those words hold and how they are different from what he thinks they mean. 

Baekhyun doesn't find out that day. What he does find out is that his place in his master's bed has become permanent. 

On the first day of grade school, his master leaves him in her bedroom. 

Baekhyun never sees Chanyeol after that day. 

 

 

 

Baekhyun watches the tree’s leaves flutter under the sunlight. They shine with deep greens and little yellows as they fall and he can't help but feel an ache from deep within at the sight. It reminds him of Chanyeol's smile. 

Baekhyun doesn't know how long it's been since he'd last seen Chanyeol. All his master talks about nowadays are school and studying. Sometimes, she'll tell Baekhyun about Chanyeol's master but never about Chanyeol. A part of him longs to see the smaller bear but he knows Chanyeol's going through the same thing he's going through. They are stuck in a room where they cannot step one foot out. 

The door bursts open and his master drags herself inside her room, throwing her bag on the floor before flinging herself onto the bed. She grabs Baekhyun and holds him tight. In all the years that has passed, Baekhyun realizes that his master has grown to the point that her arms circle his body completely. His big body no longer covers most of her chest but instead reaches just her upper torso. 

"Baekhyunnie~" she whispers, burying her head in the space between his ears. "What do I do? I really like him. I want him to like me, too." 

Baekhyun feels dread settle in his stomach. It's those words again. He doesn't understand what they mean but somehow, a part of him aches—aches more than when a tear had appeared in his stitching. The soft pressure against his chest can't compare to anything he's ever felt before. 

"What will I do Baekhyunnie if I fall in love?" she asks. 

Baekhyun's world stops. The weight of his master's words sound different, foreign even. Baekhyun knows that what he has with his master is love but what’s the difference between the love she has for him and the love she has for Chanyeol’s master? 

Baekhyun spends the rest of his days watching the sunlight play with the leaves of the trees out in the window. Every day he asks himself what it means to like and to love. Every day he finds himself at a loss for words. 

 

 

 

High school marks the day all the other toys get put in a box and heaved upstairs to the attic. Baekhyun sighs in relief as he's left in the middle of the bed. He sees from the mirror that his dark brown fur has faded somewhat. He looks a little worse for wear but when his master smiles and holds him, he feels a little better. 

She stands in front of him, blocking his view of his reflection and replacing it with her back. She wears her high school uniform, her white blouse tucked into her knee length skirt, and her long black hair reaching mid back. She turns to him after she's finished fixing herself and smiles at Baekhyun. 

"Today's the first day of high school, Baekhyunie," she begins, reaching for Baekhyun's paw as she pats his head. "Wish me luck." She kisses Baekhyun in the space between his eyes and goes out the door. 

Baekhyun feels a part of him ache as he watches the door close. The sound of it clicking shut echoes in the room and he turns his gaze back on the window, looking at the leaves swaying with the wind. 

"Goodbye mom!" Baekhyun hears and he wonders what this feeling deep inside him is. Maybe, if Chanyeol were here, he'd be able to tell Baekhyun. 

But Chanyeol is no longer here. He hasn't been beside Baekhyun for a long time. Baekhyun probably won't see him ever again. 

But with nothing to do at home, Baekhyun is left hoping that someday they'll meet again. 

 

 

 

It's one of those days again where Baekhyun's master spends her nights lying on her bed with her arms wrapped around him. She talks about Chanyeol's master and goes on and on about how they spend their days together, happy and blissful. 

Baekhyun always listens and he always wishes he could do the same with Chanyeol. Just as he's about to imagine what it would be like to spend a whole day with Chanyeol, his master says something that shocks him to his very core. 

"I think I really love him, Baekhyunnie."

Baekhyun's world stops spinning and those words keep echoing in his ears. It isn't until after a few seconds that he realizes his master is still speaking. 

"Every time I think about him, my heart aches." She buries her head in Baekhyun's fur, her cheeks tinted pink. "And it's the bad kind of ache, you know. 

"And the way he smiles just makes my heart skip a beat. It's really funny because he almost always has a smile on his face and it's really hard to concentrate when we're talking." Baekhyun tries to shake off the image of Chanyeol's smiles, the way it makes him feel. 

"And you know what's even funnier? Sometimes, there are days when I don't want to see him, you know? 'Cause he's still always trying to piss me off," she says with a laugh, her voice soft with an emotion Baekhyun's never heard before. "But when I don't see him, I miss him so much." She squeezes Baekhyun. "Like I'm going to start running to his house just so I can see him because tomorrow is so far away." 

Baekhyun's mind goes blank. The way his master feels is the same way he feels about Chanyeol. The longing inside of him threatens to resurface and Baekhyun feels the need to run and go out so he can see Chanyeol. But he can't. He's trapped in the arms of his master, and his loyalty lies with her. He doesn’t belong to Chanyeol—Chanyeol the teddy bear who smiles brighter than the sun. 

"I love him, Baekhyunnie," she whispers. She breathes out before sprawling out on her bed. She squeals and giggles and then holds Baekhyun close. "I love him," she keeps repeating. "I really love him." 

In that moment, Baekhyun finally understands. 

 

 

 

"Baekhyunnie~" Baekhyun's master singsongs. "Do I look pretty?" She moves to bob Baekhyun's head up and down before enclosing him in her embrace. 

"Thank you," she whispers. Baekhyun smiles at his master, remembering the way she'd twirled with her silver dress. The hem of her dress glitters in the light and Baekhyun knows whoever sees her will have their eyes focused on her all night long. 

"I can't believe he asked me to be his date," Baekhyun finds his master saying, drawing him out of this thoughts. Baekhyun remembers the day his master told him that Chanyeol's master asked her to prom. 

He wants to tell her that she's lucky, that she should cherish this moment for the rest of her life.

"Baekhyunnie~" she begins, setting him down at the edge of her bed. "I'm going to tell him tonight. I'm going to tell him I love him." 

Her tone is final and Baekhyun envies her circumstances. 

The doorbell rings and his master rushes out of her room, grabbing her purse and patting Baekhyun goodbye. Baekhyun doesn't watch the door close or turn his head to the window. Baekhyun keeps his eyes on the mirror, his reflection the only thing he can see. 

Baekhyun envies his master. Every day, Baekhyun spends his day wishing he could have gone back to those days in kindergarten. He wishes he could have told Chanyeol that he liked him too. He wishes he could have told Chanyeol that they felt the same. 

Baekhyun wishes he could tell Chanyeol that he loves him. 

 

 

 

Baekhyun sits on his master’s lap. Her arms circle his smaller body and meet in front of him holding her phone between her hands. She's texting Chanyeol's master as his master's mother drives them to her dorm. 

Baekhyun decides to give his master some privacy and gazes at the scenes passing by. It takes them a while to reach the university dorms, but when they do, Baekhyun gets stuffed into a bag, the zipper half open. The light shines through the small gap and Baekhyun waits until the movement stops. 

He feels a little proud that out of all the toys his master had, she had chosen him to take to college. He welcomes the change of scenery, knowing he'll be staring at it for a little over four years. 

Baekhyun gets placed in the middle of a twin-sized bed, his body facing a wall with a window in the middle. From where he's seated, all Baekhyun can see is the sky. It's a different view but it doesn't change the fact that the blue sky is not and will never be as bright as Chanyeol's fur when the light hits it. 

Everyday is not much different from when his master used to be in high school. The only difference is the amount of time she spends in her dorm. There are days when Baekhyun's master studies all night and doesn't sleep in her bed. There are days when his master just sleeps all day, cuddling Baekhyun like a lifeline. There are days when she doesn't spend the night in her dorm, telling her roommate she'll be spending the night in her boyfriend's dorm. Baekhyun wonders what they do, what it feels like to sleep cuddled in the arms of someone else other than his master. Baekhyun wishes he could spend the night with Chanyeol, too. 

 

 

 

Baekhyun smiles as his master dons her graduation cap, carefully placing the tassel to the side. 

"This is it, Baekhyunnie," she whispers, bending down so she's leveled with her bear. "I finally did it." 

Baekhyun's master coughs and lowers her voice several octaves. She congratulates herself in that tone, nodding Baekhyun's head with her hands. She chuckles at her antics before pulling Baekhyun to her chest. 

"Thank you for always being with me," she says sincerely. Tears prick the corners of her eyes but she does her best not to let them fall. 

A knock on the door interrupts their moment and Baekhyun finds himself back on the bed. His eyes move to the door where Chanyeol's master steps in. He has the same cap and coat as Baekhyun’s master and holds a bouquet of red roses in one hand. 

Baekhyun’s master squeals as she flings herself into her boyfriend's arms. He twirls her around, whispering what Baekhyun assumes are congratulatory words. It's a beautiful sight, and if Baekhyun could cry, he probably would have. 

Baekhyun feels his whole being ache as they walk away hand in hand. His master doesn't look back as she closes the door, she doesn't say goodbye or see you later. She walks away for the first time Baekhyun's ever known her and it hits him that she doesn't need him anymore. 

Baekhyun's master gets a proposal from her boyfriend as soon as the graduation ceremony ends. Baekhyun finds himself packed in a box along with his master's belongings and hauled into the back of a car. Inside the box, Baekhyun can only see darkness. He wonders if this is his punishment for not telling Chanyeol all those years ago how he had felt. 

But then it dawns on him, his master and Chanyeol's master are going to marry each other someday. Maybe, just maybe, through this Baekhyun will have his chance. 

 

 

 

Baekhyun waits on a bookshelf every day for the day his master moves into a home with her soon-to-be husband. He no longer has a place on her bed but he's happy he still has a place in her room. Somehow, the view from the bookshelf is better than the one from the bed. He doesn't enjoy the lack of attention from his master but he finds that he can tolerate it. Instead, he fills his days with thoughts of Chanyeol's voice and the possibility of meeting again one day. 

It finally happens two years later. It's been such a long time that Baekhyun has gotten scared that maybe his master would leave him in her parent's house. He gets a surprise when he finds himself perched in the backseat of Chanyeol's master's car. 

_Baekhyun-ah!_

Baekhyun whips his head to the side so fast, he feels his stitching stretch. Beside him, with the fur of their arms touching, sits Chanyeol. His fur has aged to the point where it no longer shimmers in the sunlight. His button eyes have faded and he looks a lot more worse for wear than Baekhyun. Baekhyun could care less though because this is Chanyeol. 

_I missed you._ Chanyeol says leaning his head on Baekhyun's shoulder. The car whirs to life and Baekhyun closes his eyes, relishing in the feeling of having Chanyeol so near. 

_I missed you, too._ Those words aren't enough to describe his real feelings when Chanyeol wasn't by his side but it will have to do. 

They spend the rest of the car ride just basking in the presence of the other. No one talks aside from their masters planning out their future together. Baekhyun smiles as he feels Chanyeol's paw lay on top of his own. 

When their masters find them in that position, they decide to keep them positioned that way. They place Chanyeol and Baekhyun on a ledge stuck to the wall of their bedroom. They smile as they begin to recount the first time they'd met. They take one last look at Baekhyun and Chanyeol before walking out of their room to continue unpacking their things. 

_So, Baekhyun-ah,_ Chanyeol begins, his head now permanently placed on Baekhyun's shoulder. _Do you finally understand?_

Baekhyun laughs, feeling the pressure on his chest disappear. _I do, but it took me quite a while,_ he admits. Chanyeol laughs as he presses down his paw on Baekhyun's. 

_I wish we could have had more time._ Chanyeol closes his eyes. 

_Maybe,_ Baekhyun hurries to reply. _Maybe we will!_

 _We both know that's not how it works, Baekhyun-ah._ Chanyeol shakes his head on Baekhyun's shoulder. Baekhyun feels the pressure on his chest come back. _They no longer need us. It's time for us to go._

Baekhyun puts his paw on top of Chanyeol's and presses down. _I love you,_ he says, meaning it and wishing it wasn't the last words he'd be able to tell Chanyeol. He wishes, prays, and hopes that in a different life, fate would be kinder and give them the time he'd wished to spend with Chanyeol. He will spend that time wisely, making sure to spend every waking moment he can with Chanyeol. And then, maybe, 'I love you' won't be the last words Baekhyun tells Chanyeol.

_I love you, too, Baekhyun-ah._

Baekhyun closes his eyes and takes pleasure in hearing those words. He realizes it isn't so bad for it to be their last words.

 

 

 

"Hey!" a voice calls out to him. He looks up from his sand castle and finds a boy with large ears hovering above him. "Whattcha doing?"

"I'm making a sand castle," he replies, returning his attention back to the sand in front of him. 

"Can I help?" the boy asks, bending down and giving him a bright smile. He has a missing teeth but he looks friendly enough. 

"Okay." He hands the boy one of the buckets he has and the smaller shovel that he doesn't really use. 

"What's your name?" the boy asks as they shovel and mold sand together. 

"Baekhyun. You?" 

"Chanyeol." The boy puts down his toys and wipes his hands on his shirt. He puts an arm out in front of Baekhyun and smiles. Baekhyun watches as the afternoon sunlight dances on his hair. "Nice to meet you, Baekhyun!" 

"What are you doing?" Baekhyun asks as he points to Chanyeol's extended arm. 

"Mama says that when you meet people you have to shake their hands. Let's shake hands, Baekhyun-ah!" Chanyeol eyes crinkle at the corners as he smiles and Baekhyun thinks it's the brightest smile he's ever seen. 

Baekhyun extends his own arm and Chanyeol takes a hold of it, shaking it firmly. "Nice to meet you, too, Chanyeol," Baekhyun repeats.

"Great," Chanyeol begins, moving to sit beside Baekhyun. "Now, we're gonna be friends forever."

Chanyeol slings his arm around Baekhyun's shoulder and pulls him close. Baekhyun finds himself laughing, feeling incredibly and indescribably happy. 

"Forever!" he agrees.


End file.
